Beer's To You And Me!

: capn_beer_blog; December 10th, 2010

Current Location:: Belmont, CA

Current Mood:: sad

Avery Brewing Company
Boulder, CO
15% ABV (yep, that's right)

Serve with a fork ...

This beer was my response to Cap'n's 18% Dogfish Head. This is one very thick, don't you dare chug, kinda brew. Did I say very thick? Goes down like a barley wine, and the hammer is quick. The taste itself feels heavy on the tongue, and it's as powerful as some Belgians, albeit thicker (see the pattern?). I'd like to say it's fruity, but I think it may be more spicy. I can't speak to the exact flavor, though. What I can do is recommend that if you can only drink one beer this evening, try The Beast.

B+

Dan

Tags: beer, beer review, strong, thick

The Dissident 2010 - Sour Brown Ale Brewed With Cherries

: capn_beer_blog; December 9th, 2010

Current Mood:: surprised

Deschutes Brewery
Bend, OR
10.5% ABV

Greetings Beer Fans! Tonight, I am trying something completely new and outside of my comfort zone - sour beer. My friend Matt is a BIG fan of sour beers, and I've always stayed away, but not anymore! Time to try something different!

Let's pour!
Into a mini pilsner glass from a 22oz, we find a redish-light-copper-brown liquid with about a finger of foamy head and virtually no lacing left behind. Lots of cherry on the nose, with a hint of barley. Mouthfeel is medium and highly carbonated, nearly soda-like. Interesting flavors - very tart, cherry flavor forward, followed by citrus side notes that goes out with a dry finish. No indication of the $10.5% ABV in the flavor at all. I'm going to call this very drinkable and mighty tasty.

Matt, you're onto something here!

Since this is the first time I've ever had this style, and have nothing to compare it to, I'm going to give it a B+.

Cheers!

Kevin

Tags: beer, beer review, deschutes, sour beer

(no subject)

: capn_beer_blog; December 8th, 2010

Current Mood:: chipper

Cascade Lakes Brewing Company
Redmond, OR
6.5% ABV
100 IBUs

Greetings, beer fans! It's time to sample another IPA, and a local one at that. Out of Redmond, OR, we have here an IPA with a rather high IBU count - Centennial IPA.

Let's pour!

From a 22oz into a standard bar pint, the pour is a very light orange/copper color that's been filtered very well, with just a hint of head, and minimal lacing as the glass empties. Not a whole lot going on as far as nose goes. I was expecting a big hop note considering the IBUs...not so much. Sure, they're there, but they're very mild. Citrus notes abound, but it's not the hop explosion that you'd expect. It starts off citrus-esque, then goes all malty, and finishes with a dry bitterness. Again, it's not in your face like I was expecting. Mouthfeel is medium, carb is light.

Overall I'd say it's a good beer that's pretty ordinary. If you are just getting into the IPA scene, this may be the brew for you.

I'll give it a B.

Till next time, cheers!

Kevin

Tags: beer. beer review, cascade lakes brewing company, ipa, portland street market

21st Amendment Fireside Chat

: capn_beer_blog; December 6th, 2010

Current Location:: United States, California, Belmont

Current Mood:: chipper

21st Amendment Brewery
Cold Springs, MN
7.9% ABV

Aloha from Northern California,

I was fortunate enough to work across the street from a 21st Amendment for two years, and we would have "meetings" after work to discuss important matters of business. While we were there, we would always choke down a few of the 21st's lovely brews. The Fireside Chat is a new one to me, and it is their winter warmer beer. It's got the standard spices I've come to expect in any winter brew (is there another way to warm up?), and honestly, this beer tastes pretty generic in the category. I'm drinking from the can because that's how I like my beer from the 21st. They are among the few breweries who are bold enough to prove that it's not the can that makes a beer taste bad ... it's the beer. That's why Bud in a bottle does not taste good.

Anyhoo ... while this beer does provide a kick from its generous 7.9% ABV, the flavor is like I said - generic. No wow. But that's OK ... their Brew Free or Die IPA makes up for the lack of wow in this brew.

C+

Dan

Tags: 21st amendment, beer, beer review, spiced, winter

World Wide Stout

: capn_beer_blog; December 2nd, 2010

Current Mood:: surprised

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Milton, DE
18.00% ABV (yes, you read that right)

Greetings, Beer Fans!

Holy mackerel, this is one of the biggest stouts I've ever had, and holier smokes is it ever good! The pour from a 12oz bottle into a mini pilsner is super dark cherry-brown, with a brief appearance of about 1/8" of head that quickly vanishes, and minimal lacing. The bottle says it's a "very dark beer brewed with a ridiculous amount of barley" and they're not kidding. Big malted barley nose with vanilla bourbon and dark fruits on the side. Mouthfeel is medium/heavy with good carb...perhaps a little more than you'd expect. Very sweet flavors here - malts, brown sugar, and raisins. Oddly enough, the ABV is pretty well hidden in terms of flavor. You can certainly feel it, but in no way tastes like booze.

This is most definitely a sipper! In case you skimmed right past my intro, the ABV is 18.00%. This stout is huge and must be treated with care. To quote my wife, "This is a beer that you bring a 6-pack to a family gathering around the holidays and the guys go out to the garage with one bottle and a good cigar each and they talk about guy stuff."

Well done, Sam. Well done indeed!

A

Kevin

Tags: beer, beer review, dogfish head, stout

Delirium Noel

: capn_beer_blog; November 26th, 2010

Current Mood:: cheerful

The Huyghe Brewing Company
Melle/Ghent, Belgium
10.00% ABV

To quote the Beatles - "It's getting better all the time" Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am starting to "get" the whole Belgian thing. For those of you who have been reading my reviews, you know that this is not a style I was particularly fond of, but I'm thinking that his seasonal is the shiz!

The pour from a corked 750 ml into a mini pilsner is a hazy orange brown with lots of particulate, and a good three fingers of head. Big Belgian yeast on the nose, along with citrus and spices. Medium/heavy mouthfeel. Sour. citrus, tart Belgian flavors abound, and the 10.00% is nowhere to be found. I like!

B-

Cheers!

Kevin

Tags: beer, beer review, belgian

Climax Noel 2010

: capn_beer_blog; November 13th, 2010

Current Mood:: cheerful

Tonight I also have a bottle of the 2010 Climax Noel organic Imperial Red Ale from Eel River Brewing. I won't go into too much other than to say that it's as good as last year's offering and well worth the purchase.

What's in your glass tonight?

Kevin

Tags: ale, beer

Jack & Kens Dark Barleywine Ale

: capn_beer_blog; November 13th, 2010

Current Mood:: cheerful

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Chico, CA
10.20% ABV

Greetings beer fans! What we have here is one truly big beer. No, seriously, I'm talking BIG. Over the years I have really developed a taste for barleywine style ales and this one seriously stands up. The pour into a mini pilsner was nice and dark - almost black - with a good two fingers of head and moderate/light lacing as the glass empties. Roasted grains, molasses, malts, hops and burnt sugar on the nose. Mouthfeel is quite heavy with just the right carb. The flavor is outstanding - dark malts, roasted grains, and pine hops abound with the ABV present and accounted for. This is definitely a sipper!

I love it, and you will too!

A-

Kevin

PS - we would really love to hear from you! Please take a moment after reading our reviews to chime in with what you think about any given beer we review!

Tags: ale, barleywine, beer, beer review, sierra nevada

Punkin Ale

: capn_beer_blog; October 31st, 2010

Current Mood:: cheerful

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Milton, DE
7.0% ABV

BOO and Happy Halloween to you and yours! Today's fare is Dogfish Head's Punkin Ale. Admittedly, I'm not much on these kinds of ales, but I must also admit that this particular ale is great. Nice amber/orange on the pour with about a finger of head and a little lacing. Just as the bottle reads - pumpkin, brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg rule the nose. Medium mouthfeel. This ale just explodes with the flavors of fall - all of the above ingredients are fully present and accounted for with just the right hop note to keep things in check. It's not overbearing either, which is nice. I could see sitting down with a six of this for an evening.

B+

Cheers!
Kevin

Tags: ale, beer, beer review, dogfish head, punkin

Yellow Wolf Imperial IPA

: capn_beer_blog; October 24th, 2010

Current Mood:: cheerful

Alameda Brewing Company
Portland, OR
8.2% ABV

Greetings beer fans! It may be a pretty crappy day outside here in most of Oregon, but the beer is great inside. Today's fare is an Imperial IPA from Alameda Brewing Company out of Portland - a first for me from this brewery...

The pour from a 22 into a mini-pilsner is pale orange and cloudy. No head or lacing. Hops and that slick...I wanna say soapy smell that some Doubles and Imperials have. Very floral. Mouthfeel is pretty slick and heavy with light carbonation. The flavor is mostly hops and malts, with that soapy, floral taste that some Doubles and Imperials have. It's not bad, but it's not my favorite.

C+

Cheers!
Kevin

Tags: alameda brewing company, beer, beer review, imperial ipa, oregon, portland street market

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